You don't have to say you love me
by ragabeubeu
Summary: Sara's Cooper best friend, and roommate, she's sort of neurotic and always gets deceived by men, and he's always there to help her with the aftermath, until he realizes that they are a lot of ways to love somebody. Cooper/Sara


_**Author's note:**__ I don't own anything about Prison Break or Private Practice, no copy rights intended, this was purely made for fun, so hope you'll enjoy it!_

_P.S: the last scene was inspired by an episode of Friends I watched yesterday, and the relationship between the two main characters is intentionally pretty much the same than Violet and Cooper's friendship. _

_Enjoy, and please leave a review!_

…

He's not exactly sure when it started.

Well, he knows when he met her, at the practice, it was his first day, he remembers being as nervous as can be, all these people, they knew each other so well, and he was on the outside. He knew he didn't always give the best first impression, he assumed that the crew not being able to hire some doctor because he had slept with her and never called her back didn't help with that, and he hadn't exactly got the perfect greeting into this troupe "family" of doctors, but she, _Sara_, she had been nice to him.

He recalls bumping into her on his way to the fridge -one of the best asset of this practice if you ask him- and the way she smiled at him, while he miserably apologized. She'd told him it was all right, and he believed her because she looked more amused than startled, before recommending him the blueberry pie, and joking about how it was so good that it was almost addictive, he'd laughed stupidly, really he'd just felt a little dizzy from the way her laugh lighted her face - he had always liked her laugh, and that blueberry pie _**was**_ good. So maybe he had liked her that way, at first, but only because she was an attractive woman and he was himself, so he had tried maybe one move on her on his first week, but he hadn't been very explicit and she hadn't seemed to see where he was going, so he had left it to this.

But this was before she became Sara, his Sara.

Well not his, his, but his friend, his best friend. After a while, she wasn't the cute girl from work, she became Sara, the girl who had came crying on his shoulder like a waterfall after her boyfriend -ex boyfriend, or more likely "Royal Douche bag" as he liked to call him- Michael had broke her heart, the girl who ate a whole pot of ice cream every time a guy dumped her, the girl that, given the amount of heartaches she had collected in her life, ate so much comfort food that it was a wonder she wasn't fat. She had explained that to him once, he remembers, quick metabolism? Anyway, the point is, she stopped being a hot girl he would sleep with the second she became his friend, his Sara, now, he likes to think of her like a twin sister with whom he shares everything, and it feels good, to have a person that you know won't judge you no matter what, a person that will always be on your side, without any hidden agendas. They're just friends, _she_'s his friend, and he loves her. As a friend.

So, he's not exactly sure when it happened, the moment where he unintentionally put their friendship in jeopardy, when he suddenly thinks -and god he hates to think at something that's such a cliché- what if what you've been looking for your whole life has been right in front of you all along?

Then he remembers, it all started at his ex girlfriend's wedding. Cooper's always hated weddings. And now, he hates them even more .

"Come on, Sara, _please_." He remembers begging like a five years old asking for an ice cream.

"Coop, we've talked about this." His friend said, apologetically, "For at least a month, no romantic movies, or romantic songs, or anything such, and weddings are _romantic_."

"What? Come on, Sar, weddings are anything but romantic, if anything they're boring." He tried to convince her.

"If they're so boring, why are you even going?" She asked, her brow arching slightly.

He scoffed with an eye-roll, before he explained as if it was absolutely obvious.

"Because if I don't go, then she's going to assume that it's because I'm not over her."

"Well if you're over her, why do you care what she thinks?"

"Because, she- look will you just go with me?" He asked once more.

She sighed.

"Please?" He added to enhance his chances, "Come on, I swear I'll make it worth your time."

"But Coop, you know the rules," She said, "no reminders of people in love for at least a month after I got dumped, and it's only been five days, so-"

"Oh come on, Sar, can you imagine how hard it would be for me to just sit there all by myself while they're exchanging vows? I can't show up without a date, it would be even more pathetic than not going at all!"

"Yeah but I'm not your date, I'm your roommate, Coop."

"Yeah, but she doesn't have to know that." He teased with a mild smile, "Come on, I want to make her jealous by bringing a girl who's hotter than her."

She shook her head, but not without smiling.

"Come on," He repeated, "how would you feel if Dick was getting married and you didn't have a plus one?"

"Hey his name is Nick!" She corrected.

"No, his name _was_ Nick, that was before you caught him naked on his ex."

"Yes, that is correct indeed, so nice of you to remind me," She smiled humorlessly, "and since it was only **FIVE** days ago: no love song, no romantic comedy, no wedding."

"Fine." Cooper said, "Then if Royal Douche bag ever gets married, don't count on me to be your date."

"Hey, he has a name."

He didn't retort.

"Sara, if you do this for me, I'll do the dishes for a month."

"Coop-" She started.

"Hey did I mention that there'll be a buffet? And a cake." He smiled noticing the sad, miserably interested look on her face. "A huge, vanilla cake." He pursued enticingly, "With buttercream, and raspberry sauce, and chocolate frosting."

She sighed again.

Not the same sigh, a defeat sigh. He grinned.

"And if you go with me," He added, still smiling, "not only will I never be rude to you again, I will supply you in ice cream for the rest of your grieving period."

She pondered for a moment.

"Okay fine." She finally agreed, "But I'm not dressing up."

"You can show up there naked for all I care." He assured, before actually considering, "Actually-" he started.

"Coop," She interrupted, "I'm not showing up there naked."

"Okay fine," He agreed, "but can you find something sexy to wear? You have no idea how much she's going to be pissed if- oh come on don't go, Sar, I was joking!"

All he got for an answer was her bedroom door slamming. He shrugged. She'd be back in a few hours, probably just the time to finish the bottle of whipped cream she'd taken from the fridge this morning.

He ordered pizza to celebrate his triumph, then, spent the evening in Sara's bedroom, watching "The Titanic" while she cried on his shoulder, only interrupting her sobs to shove the bottle of whipped cream in her mouth every ten seconds.

It's okay, he told her. He knew her long enough by now to know at which step of "The after-breakup" she was standing, and right now all she wanted was comfort. And these weren't tears of deep sadness, not like when Michael had left, this Dick guy wasn't the love of her life, he trusted her to had known better than that, so yeah, she'd cry for this guy, a little, and eat the traditional pot of ice cream, but the pain wouldn't be this deep like it had been some times.

But he'd be there anyway. What are friends for?

...

"So you're going with Sara, uh?"

Cooper rolled his eyes, more amused than upset.

"She's like my sister, Pete." He reminded, before picking an apple from the fruit basket.

"Yeah, well," Pete shrugged, "I'm just saying, I never saw a brother look at his sister like that."

Cooper didn't answer. This rambling didn't get to him, his relationship with Sara was the only thing that people could trash all they wanted he still wouldn't care. People could think whatever they wanted, he knew what he knew, and so did Sara.

"She's really just helping me out," Cooper changed the subject, "you know how it would look if I was there all by myself while Fiona married another guy?"

"Like you're alone there, torturing yourself?" Pete arched an eyebrow.

"Exactly." Cooper, agreed, "Which is why I'm taking Sara, I will no longer be that guy, and she won't win the break up."

"Win the what now?"

"Oh come on, you know that whenever a couple split, there's always one of them that gets to recovery faster, that's why we have to show up with people that we'll never think of dating in the real life so we don't stand all alone why an ex marries some idiot."

"Do you even know who she's marrying?" Pete scoffed, looking way too judging to Cooper's liking.

"Yes," Cooper responded on the same tone, "some dude, named Billy Parker."

"Who is he?"

"No idea," Cooper said before biting in his apple, "she must have met him after me."

"You've been broken up for, like a month-"

"Anyway," Cooper interrupted in a voice that made it clear that it was time to change subject, "I'd still rather not go alone."

"Sure."

"It has nothing to do with Sara," Cooper insisted to Pete's unconvinced tone, "only she's the one girl that I know won't bail out on me."

At that exact moment he glimpsed a flash of flaming red hair through the door window.

"Ah, speaking of the devil."

He left the kitchen to follow his best friend, walking hastily towards her office.

"Hey, well you're in a hurry this morning." He noticed, before taking a second bite at that apple.

"Oh hey," She said, looking a little too short of breath for someone who'd just taken the elevator, "I hadn't seen you there."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. You all right, Sar?" A line of worry formed between his brows.

"Uh-" She hesitated while fiddling her hands together, "Yeah sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"You're fiddling," He said, "you always do that when you're nervous, see?"

"Oh," She instantly stopped budging her hands, "yeah, don't worry, I'm good, it's all good."

"Sar-"

"I have patients right now, I'm sorry, we'll finish this later?"

"Sara," He reiterated when she turned her back to him, "if you wanna talk, I'm right here."

She turned back to him and attempted a grateful smile, before she disappeared into her office.

...

He wasn't sure what was off with her that day, until he caught a sight of her, walking round in her office, holding her phone to her ear as if her life depended on it.

At first he thought that she could be talking to Dick -what's his name?- but then he saw the look on her face. She only had that look on her face when it came to one man.

Ho oh. Worse than what he had expected.

He walked in the room hastily, not even knocking.

"Okay I gotta go, I'll talk to you later." She hurriedly ended the conversation and hung up, "Hi Coop, want to have lunch? I could eat something."

"You've been talking to Michael." It was an affirmation, not a question. She still defended.

"What? Why would I do that?" She played innocent.

"Come on, you know you can't fool me with this, just admit it."

"Okay, fine," She faked indifference, "I admit it, and you have nothing to say to me because last time I checked you were my roommate not my father."

"Sara." He ignored her retort and remained serious, "Don't go down that road again."

She inhaled deeply, avoiding his eyes, before she apparently decided to ignore him.

"Come on, you know better than that, should I remind you that last time it took me THREE months to tear you from your television playing _**The notebook**_ in a loop? And don't get me started on how many pot of ice cream you ate."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing you've promised to provide that for me," She said, taking refuge in humor.

"Sara," Cooper said, "could you please listen to me? How can you even consider putting yourself through that again?"

"You're only thinking this because you saw how wrecked I was after we ended things," She said.

"Ended things? Yeah, that's a way to put it."

"It wasn't all his fault," She ignored him, "and we were good together."

She shook her head.

"But you know, that's not even what it's about, we're not getting back together." She affirmed.

Right.

"He just wants to see me, see how I've been, so - we're gonna meet. It's friendly, it's not about getting back together."

Cooper cleared his throat, crossing his arms on his chest.

"You expect me to believe that? Seriously? Do you even believe yourself?" He shook his head, "You know what? I'm not even gonna say anything, it's too embarrassing."

"Right, because you're the model of relationships, meeting every girl you've ever been with on the Internet? Way to go, Coop." She scoffed humorlessly.

He didn't say anything. He hated when she did that, he knew it wasn't like her, but she was just upset and deep down he knew she knew he was right, and that made her doubt, and that made her take it out on him. And he hated that. But he loved her a little bit more.

"I'm sorry," She apologized immediately, he knew she would, "I- I'm just really tired."

She ran her hand through her hair nervously.

"You want to grab some lunch?" She offered, "My treat? As a peace offering."

"Thanks," He shook his head, "but I have some patients."

She nodded, and he knew he wouldn't talk her out of this, he couldn't. All he could do was wait until what he knew would happen happened, and be there for her when it did.

"Okay," She said coyly, "so, uh- I'll see round, Coop."

He merely nodded before heading out, letting out a deep exhale once he left her office, suddenly thinking it was a relief he hadn't asked her out when he wanted to, because this girl was way too complicated for him to keep up. And he had no idea.

...

"Coop? Am I boring you are what?"

Sara's voice suddenly started to sound like a ten year old trying to show some authority. Cooper squinted his eyes open, repressing his tiredness, grandly motivated by the line forming between his friend's eyebrows. Sara frowning, was _never_ a good idea.

"Ah- nope." He said ironically, "Because helping you pick a dress for a date is just what I wanted to do with my Saturday night."

"Oh right, I'm your roommate, Coop, you can't lie to me about having plans, if you had any, you wouldn't be there sitting on our couch, and you wouldn't be available to watch me parade, would you?"

He sighed, repressed the urge to just lock himself in his room to sulk and tried paying attention.

"The black one." He finally said.

"Are you sure?" She said, eying the dress closely, as if her life suddenly depended on it.

"Yep," He yawned, "it's just sexy enough so Michael will sleep with you right on, then he'll leave and this whole thing will be over sooner."

She tossed both dresses at him.

"Hey! The hanger actually hurts!" He protested, rubbing at his forehead, "Thank you, I'll have a bump on my head for the wedding tomorrow, great. I'll just make up some story about saving a baby from getting crushed by a car."

"And the car bumped your head?" She arched an eyebrow, "You really need to revise your credibility Coop."

He sighed, ignoring her.

She looked fine, better than fine, she looked happy. She always did at first, and since this was her third official date with Michael since he had called her with "friendly" intentions, he recognized this moment as the euphoric phase, and the higher she got, the longer the fall, when Douche bag would dump her until she hit rock bottom.

"Look, Sara," He paused for a second, he'd tell her to be careful, but he already had, thousands of times, and she wouldn't listen now any more than she had listened the times before.

"I know, Coop." She said, smiling genuinely, "I know you don't think this is a good idea, it's just-" she shook her head, her smile making her look like so young he felt like she was even more vulnerable, "I can really feel it this time, you know?" she went on, "It's like... I know it's going to work, I just do. I have a gut feeling."

Cooper, half sighed half smiled at the naivety of his friend.

"Oh sweetie," He said, not even able to tell if he was angry or amused, "wake up! A gut feeling? Really? The guy dumped you like you throw away a tissue once you're done with it, he looked you right in the face and actually admitted to banging his secretary-"

"Hey she wasn't his secretary, she was his colleague!"

"She was eighteen!"

"She-"

Obviously she couldn't think of anything to reply.

"Sara he left," Cooper pursued, a little calmer this time, "he humiliated you-"

"He didn't really, he-"

"Sara, I witnessed it, it was humiliating, how you held on to him after even you found out about the affair and how he didn't even plan to end it? He kept you hanging on to the very last second until he was done, and then he left, for a girl who's ten years younger than him, and worst, ten years younger than you."

She didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Okay, it was a little bit humiliating-"

"It could have been better, if every time he knocked on your door looking for a quickie you wouldn't have-"

"It's not like that, _he_'s not like that!" She protested.

"Okay, you're delusional," He decided, thumping his fist to his forehead as if he was trying to find a way to knock some senses into her, "okay," he said, "what do need for him to say to realize that it's bullshit? Of course he's not going to _say_ the words, no one's hoping to get laid by just admitting to their intentions, instead he just gets in your head and, I'm sorry to say this, but every time you believe him, I just feel a little bit more sorry for you."

"Oh do you?" She said, and he knew he'd pushed too far, "Well you know what? Maybe my relationships are a screw up, maybe I am too, but at least I'm trying! At least I'm doing something! I don't spend my time on websites, not meeting people because I'm afraid of rejection, and because it's so much easier than actually feeling something!"

None of them talked for a while, he just glared at her, pissed, at her, at himself, at the whole damn freaking planet.

"Well I guess this puts me in my place." He finally said, and he hated that after what she had said, the tears she was trying to repress made _him_ want to apologize.

"Yeah, well," She started, trying to sound cold - he didn't buy it for a second, "I have nothing more to say to you. So I'll be in my room."

She walked away quietly, only turning back to him once.

"And by the way, don't count on me to be your fake date tomorrow," She said, "I'm done being your substitute."

He exhaled with frustration. Counting one, two, three - and her door slammed. With some more consideration, he decided maybe he didn't want kids. He was already raising one.

...

She never stayed mad at him long, nor him at her. But still, every time, it seemed as though it would be the end of it.

He spent most of his time at the practice trying to not run in her way, even though secretly slightly hoping he would, and at the end of his shift, he stayed for an extra hour, taking a beer from the fridge, pondering on whether he should go to the wedding or not. Finally he decided not to go, when he remembered that there would be free drinks.

He got in his car right then.

And suddenly, the moment he had feared for nearly a month had come, and strangely, he couldn't have cared less. He sat there, front row, all by himself, just like he feared, people gave him the habitual pity look, just like he feared, and his ex-girlfriend-bride didn't suddenly say "I don't" to run off, just like he'd hoped.

She married the guy, under his very weary eyes, but he didn't feel the expected excessive rage. Until he recognized the groom.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" He couldn't help but exclaim out loud, bringing a few eyes upon him.

He didn't even bother to excuse himself to the few guests he had disturbed, the situation was getting so god damn funny he couldn't -didn't even try- to stifle his laugh.

So this was Billy Parker, this guy, really? Turned out he knew him after all, and so did Fiona, he was, uh - how could he put this? The transparent almost ridiculous guy who followed the girl like her shadow, the guy who was always there, only he'd never noticed him, because he was so damn subtle he hadn't even _thought_ of considering him as a rival.

Honestly, that was the guy he should have been worried about? Seriously? _**SERIOUSLY**_?

He tried to make up for the ugly surprise at the bar, ignoring the judging look the barmaid gave him every time he ordered another drink_. Yep, look at me all you want, buddy, it's still free and I'm still drinking. _

He smirked humorlessly.

"Can I get another one, please?"

His eyes were still judging. But he poured him another drink anyway. And he had needed it right then, because what he feared the most about this wedding, was just about to happen.

"Hey, pal."

Cooper froze, his hand tightening on the small glass the barmaid just served him, before he has the strength to look at Billy Parker right in the eyes. He looked at him with a look that meant "leave" or "run for your life" so he really wasn't sure why he decided to sit next to him.

_Oh damn. _

"Shouldn't you be dancing with your bride, right about now?" Cooper said with a humorless laugh -more like a drunk laugh- before contemplating at his drink again.

"Oh, she can survive without me for five minutes, after all, we have all life to be with each other, right?" Billy laughed.

Cooper didn't.

"Amusing," He replied, dryly.

He wasn't exactly sure why he was being so cold and angry anymore, it wasn't as if he really cared that Fiona was getting married, it just made him realize that he wasn't, and what he was really dreading about this wedding after all, was simply to look like the cliché you always find in a wedding: the guy alone, who only came for the booze.

"So, guess I sort of have to ask if it's okay with you? I mean, Fio and I getting married?"

"No, you don't have to do that," Cooper said, "I beg you" was added in his mind only.

"I mean, it must have been a shock when you saw that, I mean, all my life, never even thought I had a shot at her so-"

"You know what, Billy?" Cooper said, finally thought that he was thinking clearly -if that wasn't just the drinks talking- "I think I'm gonna head home now, you and Fio spend a great life together." He paused for a second, "And if you two have kids, I hope they won't get her real nose and your weight problem" again, he added in his mind only.

"Wow, uh-" Billy said, apparently, had decided to torture him all the way through, "I'm not sure I feel comfortable letting you drive, buddy."

Oh hell no, if he didn't care now about being the guy drinking alone at the bar, he did not want to be the guy who gets thrown in a taxi and falls asleep on his lawn.

"Oh I'm good," Cooper assured before finishing his drink.

"Nope, don't think so," Billy insisted, "you know what? I'm just gonna call a cab, you can pay me back later-"

"Call Sara." Cooper blurted -he's still not sure why he said that- out of nowhere. Maybe it was just the booze.

"Sara," Billy repeated, "can you pass me your cell phone?"

Cooper obeyed, not resisting anymore, as Billy dialed his friend's number.

Then he waited, the barmaid looked more than happy to cut off his drinks supply, so he mumbled something to him he's too drunk to remember.

"Okay," Billy said before hanging up, still using Cooper's cell, "your friend's parked outside. You're gonna need help to walk there or?"

"Oh right, rub it my face." Cooper said, before he attempted getting up.

And suddenly, he realized that this wedding was going to go as worse as can be: the guy marrying his ex was going to help him walk outside. And all the moms here were going to turn at their kids and say "you do not want to be that guy when you grow up."

But at the time, the alcohol was numbing enough so he didn't care.

"I sound bitter," Cooper mumbled on his way out, "do I sound bitter, buddy?"

"You sound drunk." Billy replied.

"I do not," Cooper defended, even though he did, "I'll prove you I'm not, I'm even gonna ask about Fio, tell me, how is it even _**possible**_ to marry someone you've been dating for a month? How does that happen?"

He wasn't more curious than he was angry, but Billy wasn't when he answered him an answer that -even with all the alcohol he had drank- he still can't forget.

"Well that's easy, pal," He explained, before smiling genuinely, "I married my best friend."

Cooper didn't answer, until he just muttered an "ah" before getting dragged to Sara's car.

He could see her worry through the anger on the lines of her face, she sighed when she saw him - not a weary sigh, more of a sigh of worry mixed with relief. And guilt.

"Damn it, Coop," She mumbled before she forced him onto the backseat.

"I can buckle my on seatbelt," Cooper said, and for some reason it made him laugh that she thought he couldn't.

"Right, sure you can. How many fingers do you see?" She waved her hand in front of him for a second before giving him a light slap.

"Ow!" Cooper rubbed his cheek with his knuckles, "That hurts, Sara! You're mean."

And then he laughed again.

"And you're drunk." She replied, and there's something about the way she said it, something disgusted.

"Well I wouldn't have been," He explained, pretty sure he's sounding very convincing, "if I hadn't been alone, if you had been there so I didn't have to face Fio and Bill by myself. Doesn't it sound odd, Fio and Bill?" He scoffed, "So not gonna last."

"You know what, Coop? Just stop talking." She said, dry and cold, and if he hadn't been so drunk he would have checked the rearview mirror to make sure she wasn't crying.

She ignored about everything she said until they got to their place. She put him on his feet, not in the most gentle way either, before she dragged him to his room and made him lie down.

"Don't wanna sleep," He protested, with a wide smile, "I wanna _party_. Come on, Sar, come party with me."

"The only thing you're doing tonight is getting some sleep," She retorted, coldly, "and then, tomorrow, when you sobered up, you're going to apologize for interrupting my date."

She lied.

"Oh, so I did you a favor then?" He laughed, until she tossed a pillow at him.

He numbly waved his arm before his face, as a protective gesture.

"Hey!" He defended weakly, "Wouldn't have gone that way, if you had _been there_."

"Yeah, well you know how to do next time," She replied, one step away from the door, and he wished he hadn't been so drunk, so he hadn't missed the tears she was repressing, so he hadn't let her go cry alone in her bedroom.

She went on.

"Next time you want me to go with you somewhere, ask me because you need me there, because you'll need a friend, not a trophy you can show off and brag about," She roughly opened the door, "and not as the last resort!" she slammed it as brutally as she had opened it and disappeared outside.

This, though, he didn't remember the next day.

...

He couldn't remember anything at first, when he woke up on that morning, first thing he did was dash for the bathroom and empty his stomach, a couple of times, before he could even think straight.

"Sara?" He attempted in a hesitating voice, he wasn't sure what had happened, but he had the feeling something did.

He didn't get an answer.

He stumbled his way to the kitchen, spotted a post-it note on the table and grabbed it.

_Went to work, we have someone covering for you_

_Sara._

Oh, well that was bad, she always left something in the end, like "love you" or "see you" but this time there was nothing. Not even a stupid smiley doodled at the bottom of the page.

"What did I do?" He muttered miserably, before nausea hit him again and he ran for the bathroom.

…

He made sure he cleaned the apartment by the time Sara got home, he'd even made dinner. Well, tried to until he nearly blew up the oven, so he just boiled some water and made macaroni and cheese.

"Hey," He said when he heard the door open, "you know you didn't have to cover up for me today, I could have worked."

"I tried," She replied coldly, "I threw a glass of water at you before I called in to say you were sick."

Well that explained the dampness he had woken up in.

"Oh. Anyway, I made dinner."

"I ate at the practice." She said before heading for her room.

"Wow, hey, wait there a second."

She stopped reluctantly, giving up an opportunity to study her face - and be able to tell just how angry she was.

"Look, uh-" He said, "I don't exactly remember why you're mad at me - yeah, I'm sorry, I don't, but I know I'm sorry. It's all I've been feeling all morning."

"You can't know you're sorry if you don't remember what you're sorry for, Coop." She said.

"Well obviously you can, because as you can see I cooked dinner and I bought cheese cake flavored ice cream."

For a second he saw a smile almost forming on her face, but she repressed it just in time.

"Well whatever I did, I'm sorry. Because I woke yesterday morning being angry with you, and something in between happened for me to wake up today and feeling angry at - myself, and I really hate it when we fight, so can we call it even or something? Truce?"

She smiled - the same strangely sad smile, a beautiful kind of sadness, but still sad.

"Sure," She agreed and he couldn't hold back a sigh of relief.

"So you really ate back at the practice?"

"Yep," She said and saw his disappointment, "but I could give that ice cream a try."

"Ice cream? Oh ho, did things not go well with Michael?"

"Yeah, actually I didn't go." She said.

"See? That's what I'm talking about, now, that's my girl!"

"Yeah, actually he called it off." She explained, "He was working late, so..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

"Go ahead you can say it." She sighed.

"Say what? That you've spent your entire evening deciding what to wear for a date he cancelled?" He saw the look on her face and felt his anger vanish against him, "Look, maybe he was working late-"

"No that's not the point, you were right." She said shaking her head, "He doesn't get to be the one who makes arrangements, I'm the one giving him a second chance, and he should have been settling for my schedule, not the other way around. What?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"I am so proud of you right now," He said, and she lightly chuckled to the melodramatic sound of his voice, "don't mock me, I am, you've grown from this neurotic ice cream eater into-"

"A neurotic ice cream eater trying to move on?" She prompted.

"One step at a time," Cooper shrugged and she laughed, for real this time.

"Okay," She said, "come on, I think there's so horror movie on Sci-Fi that just started on TV."

"I'll make some pop corn."

...

Now he knows, that's when it started, that's when the stupid, deliciously, tortuously imaginable thought crossed his mind.

When they were both sitting on their living room couch, watching the remake of "A nightmare on Elm street", or rather he was watching, she was snuggled against him, her feet curved up against herself on the couch as if some creep was going to grab her legs if she let them down, her face hidden in his shoulder preventing him from seeing the terrified look on her face.

"You there's a documentary on Discovery channel we could-" He offered but she interrupted him.

"You kidding? I'm trying to watch a movie here."

He wasn't sure exactly how she managed to watch the movie, moreover be scared of it when her face was closely hidden in his faded grey shirt.

He wasn't really paying attention to the movie either, he was already busy trying to rearrange the memories from last night, so he didn't mind.

He stifled a scoff when he thought about it again. Billy Parker. He had never _ever_ thought of feeling threatened by him, he was like Fiona's twin brother or something, they knew each other way too well for it to work.

He pondered a moment on whether that thought even made sense, and tried some more convincing himself that he wasn't jealous, he _wasn't_ jealous. Or maybe he was, but certainly not of that Billy Parker, no, it was more like he was jealous that Fio had found someone she considered spending the rest of his life with. And maybe it would last, after all, it must be a hell lot easier to date someone you know everything about, someone you already love, someone who's known you for years and for whom you have no secrets, it must be like spending your life with your best friend only with sex in benefit.

So, just for the kicks, he tried fitting their situation on him and Sar, and at first it made him chuckle lightly, before strangely realized, that maybe it fit.

He believed that when you meet the right girl for yourself, you know, not that the time stops like in the movies, but that somewhere, deep inside yourself, you know, that you're going to be with that person until the day you die, that when you succeed, or fail, or achieve all your goals and that your dreams come true, it's that person that you'll want by your side. And each day, he got up and thought "maybe I'll meet her tomorrow", and suddenly, without he could even help it, he made the mistake to think: "maybe I met her already."

And nothing changed, he opened his mouth slightly, a silent "what?" escaping him, he could still feel Sara against him, her face buried in his neck, arms wrapped up around him. His hand was still stroking her hair naturally, while the other was on her back, holding her, making sure she wouldn't fall from the couch in her compromising position.

Then a splash of blood sounded and he heard Sara squeak and tighten her grip against him.

"Damn this is scary," She muttered, her voice half smothered a she talked into his neck, so she shifted a little to just pause her head against his shoulder, "why are we even watching this?" she kept rambling, "Aren't you just terrified?"

He waited a second, his hand naturally tightening against her when he answered.

"Paralyzed."


End file.
